Home to over 600,000 people and spanning 3,112 square kilometers of land and sea, the Sarawak Delta UNESCO Global Geopark has diverse landscapes shaped over millions of years.
Located on the Malaysian part of the island of Borneo in Sarawak, the geopark includes Kuching—the UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy—as well as an extensive river delta system and a landscape that transitions from low-lying plains to higher ground inland. It is also home to mangrove ecosystems, peat swamps, caves, mountainous landscapes, as well as coastal environments that collectively support high levels of tropical biodiversity.
The geopark features 28 rock geosites, 12 biological geosites, and 14 cultural geosites. It also boasts 11 national parks and reserves, and it is renowned for its caves and beaches.
UNESCO designation
Officially added to the UNESCO network of geoparks in April, the area preserves a long record of Earth’s history, spanning over 250 million years. It represents a geologically significant region that provides important evidence for understanding the formation and tectonic evolution of Borneo.
Geoparks are single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education, and sustainable development.
In addition to its geological significance, the geopark demonstrates a strong interrelationship between geoheritage, biodiversity, and cultural heritage, according to UNESCO. These natural environments have shaped the traditional livelihoods, knowledge systems, and cultural practices of local communities, including the Iban, Bidayuh, and Malay populations, showcasing the region’s ethnic diversity and harmony.
The Bidayuh are considered the original inhabitants of the area, and they primarily live in rural villages where they continue to maintain their cultural heritage.
As the geopark’s largest urban center, Kuching is a destination not just for exploring traditional food culture but also for enjoying local craftsmanship and the performing arts. Kuching is the capital of Sarawak.
Agriculture, aquaculture, and tourism are the primary industries at the Sarawak Delta Geopark. It has a strong transport network, which links the region nationally and internationally.
The physical geography of the geopark is dominated by the Sarawak River Basin, which flows from mountainous headlands toward the South China Sea, where it forms the extensive Sarawak Delta system.
The region has a tropical climate and receives significant rainfall, averaging 3,000 millimeters per year. As such, it supports rich biodiversity, including species such as the proboscis monkey, the Bornean orangutan, and hornbills.
According to media reports, the UNESCO recognition is expected to increase Sarawak’s global visibility, attract responsible tourism, and strengthen ecotourism as well as community-based initiatives, while reinforcing the state’s commitment to sustainable development and environmental stewardship. The designation also positions Sarawak as a key destination for green economy and ecotourism in Southeast Asia.
Contributing to broader regional efforts
The Sarawak Delta designation also contributes to broader regional efforts to link conservation, sustainable tourism, and community development.
A recent UNESCO report said the global network of more than 2,260 UNESCO-designated sites demonstrates how nature and people can thrive together by supporting livelihoods, local economies, indigenous communities, and cultural traditions while safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem services.
People and Nature in UNESCO-Designated Sites: Global and Local Contributions said these living landscapes, 14 of which are found in BIMP-EAGA member countries, support the livelihoods of some 900 million people worldwide, while harboring a significant share of global biodiversity and contributing to climate regulation.
“The findings are clear: UNESCO sites are delivering for both people and nature,” said UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany in a statement. “Inside these territories, communities thrive, humanity’s heritage endures, and biodiversity is holding on while it collapses elsewhere,” he said.
The new geopark designation aligns with BIMP-EAGA's Vision 2035 agenda, which identifies sustainable and resilient tourism as a key area of regional cooperation. An important initiative under this priority is to promote community-based ecotourism sites, national parks, tourism villages through the BIMP-EAGA Tourism Village Network, and tourism circuits along the BIMP-EAGA corridors in accordance with ASEAN’s agenda of creating a network of nature-based tourism corridors.
Besides Sarawak Delta, Malaysia has three other UNESCO-designated geoparks—the Kinabalu UNESCO Global Geopark, the Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopark, and the Lenggong UNESCO Global Geopark, which was also added in April.
Sarawak Delta is located in BIMP-EAGA’s West Economic Corridor (WEC), along with the Kinabalu UNESCO Global Geopark in Sabah.
BIMP-EAGA’s corridor strategy has proposed packaging UNESCO sites as tourist attractions. As such, tourism circuits in the WEC could comprise the two geoparks and may be packaged with other UNESCO sites: Gunung Mulu National Park (Sarawak), Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (Palawan), Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (Palawan), and Betung Kerihun and Danau Sentarum Biosphere Reserve (West Kalimantan).